Presbyterian Church of England

Foreign Missions Archives, 1847-1950 onmicrofiche

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School of Oriental and African Studies, London IDC Introduction

When the Presbyterian Church of Englandwas re- Throughout the period covered by the archives, constituted as a Synod in 1843, the first steps tak- the small area of to which they pertain had en included the formation of a Foreign Missions its full share of events and movements that have Committee and the sending out of its first mission- shaped its modern history. The Opium Trade, the ary toChina in 1847, Throughout its history all Coolie Trade, the Treaties and life in the Treaty the work was done under the authority Ports, missionary "cases", Japanese colonialism as of the Synod (later Assembly) of the Church, experienced in and its effect on Church and its archives reflect the integral character of and Mission, Chinese Nationalism in the 1920s Church and Mission. These archives include those and its impact between 1925 and 1929, the Sino- of the Women's Missionary Association, founded Japanese war during which almost the entire area in1878, and constituting the main ancillary of the Mission's work was occupied these are organizationresponsiblefortherecruitment, some of the historical conditions under which the training, and support of women . missionaries worked and on which they reflected. By far the largest part of the Mission was in During World War II, the offices of the Presby- China and its work there was concentrated in terian Church of England in London were demol- South , East Guangdong, and Taiwan. The ished by enemy action. The loss of life and closecontacts of theseareas withOverseas leadership was severe. Miraculously, this large Chinese led to the extension of the Mission's proportion of mission records was saved, but the worktoSingapore and Malaysia from1881 rest was unfortunately lost. onward. Earlier, in 1862, work had also begun in India, in the Rajshahi district of Bengal. These five overseas areas together with the home base Reverend Dr. George Hood define the scope of the archives. For each area thereisasection for General Correspondence with the several Mission Councils, Church bodies, and individual missionaries, Minutes, and Reports. For the home base there are the letters of the Secretaries, Minutes and Reports of the home committees and of other organizations, internal and external, with which the Foreign Missions Committee and the Women's Missionary Associa- tion were related. Up to the end of the nineteenth century most of the missionaries came from , the English Presbyterian Mission providing an opportunity Price and other information for service in China before the Scottish Churches began their own mission work in that country. Among them were some of the best known missionaries,notablythepioneer,William Number of fiches2,841 Chalmers Burns,Carstairs Douglas of Amoy, Size 105 x 148 mm microfiche John Campbell Gibson of Swatow, and Thomas Barclay of Formosa (Taiwan). From the early Film type Positive silver-halide years, firstin South Fujian and later elsewhere, Reduction ratio 1 : 17 emphasis was put on the establishment of a self- External Printedguideof 35pages governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating finding aids containing a complete inven- Chinese Church. The deeply rooted vernaculars in tory of the archives the areas of the Mission's work led to wide use of Romanized script to achieve the formation of a Internal Eye-legibleheaders on each Bible-reading Church membership. The emphasis finding aids fiche ontheologicaleducationforawell-trained Free readers A Fuji RFP2 microfiche reader ministry gave birth to such institutions as the given free to Taiwan Theological College, and the Swatow purchasersotthecomplete Mission Hospital, founded in 1863, demonstrated collection how effective the healing ministrycan be in extending the Church.

Cover illustration: Glimpses of Missionary Work in China, ... Edinburgh, 1860. Contents

number of order number microfiches Foreign Missions Committee KH-10/1 2375

Overseas Formosa 215 South Fukien 421 Hakka 95 Lingtung, Swaton 445 Malaya 103 East Pakistan 131 China 99

Home Minutes, correspondence 268 Finance 60 Individuals 84 Organisations 156 Print 183 General 115

Women's Missionary Association 466

Minutes, correspondence 356 Organisations 29 Relations with F.M.C. 13 Jubilees 24 Plays 23 Printed Publications 21

2,841

Illustration from: Glimpses of Missionary Work in China,...Edinburgh, 1860.